


It Was You

by carolej126



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Family, Gen, Magnificent Seven AU: Little Britches ATF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 00:30:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18457781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolej126/pseuds/carolej126
Summary: Written in response to the VinList 2011 Nathan Day challenge.It's Uncle Nathan's turn to take care of the boys.





	It Was You

Nathan surreptitiously dipped his forefinger into the pitcher of lemonade he carried, raising it to his lips. He smiled in satisfaction. A perfect blend of sweet and sour, ideal for the two little boys who’d been playing outside for hours. And for their uncle, who’d been fondly watching them.

Still smiling, he let the screen door slam behind him before scanning the yard for the youngsters. Not immediately seeing them, he took a step toward the barn, only to come close to dropping said pitcher of lemonade.

Anguished wailing. That was the only way to describe it. Two voices, one pitched a little higher than the other, and easily recognizable.

Hurriedly placing the lemonade on the front porch, Nathan raced across the front yard.

Five minutes, that’s all it had been. Five short minutes, just enough time to squeeze several lemons, add sugar, and stir briskly. And apparently, also just enough time for two boys to get into trouble.

“Vin? JD?”

Frantic thoughts raced through his mind. Broken bones… Emergency surgery… Pediatric ICU… 

Never being allowed to watch the boys again.

He’d never be able to forgive himself if the boys had been seriously injured on his watch.

Nathan skidded to a halt, falling to his knees in front of the two still crying boys. “What’s wrong?”

Without waiting for a response, his eyes quickly searched the small forms, his task made more than a little difficult with both Vin and JD clinging tightly to him. 

“Unca’ Nathan, we’s hurt,” JD sobbed, the little boy’s bottom lip quivering.

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright,” he promised, pulling the boys in closer. “I’m here now.” He waited a minute, until JD’s loud sobbing and Vin’s quiet tears waned. Then he asked, “Can you show me where you’re hurt?”

Vin slowly pulled back, JD following suit, and pointed at his right knee. In contrast, JD pointed at his left.

Now that he had a clear view, it was easy to see what the problem was. Nathan heaved a sigh of relief. While painful, the minor abrasions both boys had suffered were not serious.

“Look, Unca’ Nathan, look!”

“My goodness, how did that happen?”

“We was havin’ a jumpin’ contest,” JD explained. “To see who could jump the highest.”

“I see,” Nathan answered.

“And Vin an’ I’s jumped at the same time!” JD wailed, startling Nathan with the sudden piercing noise.

“He was s’possed to wait,” Vin offered quietly.

“Uh, uh,” JD disagreed. “Vin was suppose-ed to wait.”

“Okay, okay,” Nathan interjected before the argument got out of hand. “How ‘bout we head into the house, so I can take care of your knees?”

“Is it gonna hurt?” JD asked, clutching at Vin’s hand.

“I’m going to be honest with you, JD. And Vin, too,” he added with a look at the older boy, knowing he needed to be truthful with both of them. “It might hurt a little when I clean your knees, and put some medicine on them. But…” He trailed off deliberately, giving the boys time to take in his words.

“But what?” JD finally asked, giving in to his curiosity.

“But, it will hurt more if I don’t. Remember what the doctor told Buck that time, when he cut his leg?”

Vin nodded. “He said it might get ‘fected. And then it would hurt more.”

“So, what did Buck do?”

“Da let the doctor take care ‘a his leg. He gots lots an' lots of sitches." JD paused for a moment, scrunching up his nose in thought. "He gots... seventy-two-hundred sitches.” 

Barely stifling a smile at the idea of “sitches,” never mind the number of said "sitches," Nathan just nodded somberly. 

“He did not, JD.” Vin rolled his eyes. “He only got twelve stitches.”

“Uh, uh,” JD argued. “He gots-”

Nathan took a deep breath. “Boys,” was all he said, before the youngsters subsided.

“So, are we good? Ready for me to take care of those knees?”

When Vin and JD hesitated for a second, he smiled in reassurance. “I promise I’ll be as gentle as I can, okay?” And then, knowing the special attraction, and mysterious healing power of band aids, he added, “After I’m done, I’ll let you pick out a special band aid.” 

That did the trick. The two boys nodded, and limping slightly, accompanied Nathan back to the house.

A stoic Vin volunteered to go first, and as JD watched apprehensively, the seven-year-old’s knee was examined, cleaned, and bandaged.

“All done, Vin, good job,” Nathan praised. “You’re next, JD.”

The younger boy climbed up onto the chair, extending his leg so Nathan could go to work. Nathan worked quickly, supporting JD’s little leg with one hand while he took care of the small injury. When he was done, he patted JD gently on the shoulder. “All set, JD. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Nope,” JD exclaimed cheerfully, happily comparing his band aid to the one Vin wore.

“Vin, you good? Those band aids make everything better?”

“It weren’t the band aids, Unca’ Nathan,” Vin said solemnly. “It was you.”

JD nodded emphatically. “Yeah, you taked good care ‘a us.”

“’Cause you love us.” 

It was said matter-of-factly, but Nathan had to swallow hard before he could respond. “That I do, boys, that I do.” He mustered a smile. “How about I go rescue that lemonade I left on the front porch, and we make some popcorn?”

“And a movie, too?” Vin asked hopefully.

“Cars 2,” JD insisted, jumping up and down despite his injury.

Vin sighed dramatically. “JD, we watched that yesterday. I wanna watch Shrek 2.”

Nathan couldn’t help it. He laughed out loud. Leaving Vin and JD arguing about the merits of their favorite movies, he quickly retrieved the lemonade, and set about making popcorn. All the while looking forward to spending the rest of the day with the two boys. 

 

~end~


End file.
